EP2092255B1 - Refrigeration device having a cold water dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

A recess (13), open to the exterior and containing a tap (40) for chilled water, is defined in a wall of a housing (1, 2) of a refrigeration device. The wall comprises an inner skin (9) delimiting an interior (3), an outer skin (12) and an insulating material filling (10) extending between the inner and the outer skin. A storage container (20) for water to be tapped from the tap (40) is arranged in an inner zone (18) of the recess (13). An insulating partition wall (17) inserted in the recess (13) separates the inner zone (18) of the recess (13) from an outer zone (19) accommodating the tap (40).

Description

Domestic refrigerators with a built-in, cooled water tank, from the on a. Dispenser on the outside of the device water can be tapped without having to open the device, enjoy increasing popularity among consumers. They are z. B. off US 2006 / 0080991A1 and from WO 03 / 033976A known, the refrigerators according to the preamble of claim 1 show. In order to keep the water in the tank at a temperature that is different from the temperature of an interior of the refrigerator, in these devices, the tank is embedded in an insulating material filling, with a space between a solid inner and outer skin of the wall is filled.

The embedding of the tank in the insulating material requires that the supply and discharge lines of the tank extend through the insulating material filling. Where the inlets and outlets cross the inner or outer wall of the skin, they must be carefully sealed to prevent moist air from entering the insulation material filling and allowing its moisture to condense in the filling. If the insulative material fill is typically a resin injected into the gap and expanded into a foam, careful sealing is also required to prevent leakage of expanding resin. The cable bushings therefore contribute significantly to the manufacturing cost of such a refrigerator. If electrical consumers, signalers, switches, etc are provided at the taps, corresponding problems arise when laying their connecting cables.

Another problem is that parts that are in contact with insulation material in the form of expanded resin in the event of a defect can hardly be meaningfully replaced and repaired. If, as is often the case, the tapping point is arranged on a door of the refrigerator, in the case of such a defect usually only the entire door can be replaced, which is associated with considerable costs for the user of the device.

From the post-published publication WO2008 / 046851 A (in the prior art under Article 54 (3) EPC), another refrigeration appliance having all the features of the preamble of claim 1 is known. Instead of as in the above mentioned writings in the insulating material to be embedded, the tank is here housed in an outwardly open niche of the refrigerator housing and separated by an inserted into the niche insulating partition of a tapping receiving outer region of the niche. The water pipe that feeds the tank extends through the walls of the body and the door so that the sealing problems described above also occur here.

Object of the present invention is therefore to provide a refrigerator with cold water dispenser, which is easy and inexpensive to install and easy to repair.

This object is achieved by a refrigeration device having the features of claim 1. By placing the reservoir in the niche, the need to embed it in the insulation material for protection against hypothermia is avoided, while adequate cooling of the reservoir is ensured by being shielded from the environment by the insulating partition. By dismantling the partition, the reservoir can be exposed so that repairs to it are possible. By the reservoir supplying the water pipe is accommodated in a recessed into the outer skin of the wall channel, eliminating the need to pass the supply line of the reservoir through the insulation material guide, and a complex sealing of openings in the inner and outer skin of the wall is not required.

Such a channel, which is countersunk into the outer skin of the wall, can furthermore also receive a supply line for an electrical consumer arranged at the niche.

A passage in the wall, which connects the inner region of the niche with the interior, allows efficient and rapid cooling of the reservoir by air exchange between the inner region of the niche and the interior.

In order to promote the exchange of air, a fan may be attached to the at least one passage. This can represent an electrical consumer as mentioned above.

A heater adjacent to the reservoir may be provided as protection against freezing of the tank contents. It too can be an electrical consumer.

In order to ensure efficient heat transfer from the heater to the tank contents with low heat transfer to the interior, the heater is expediently arranged on one of the insulating intermediate wall facing side of the tank.

In order to enable the removal of ice at the tapping point, an ice storage container is preferably arranged in the interior of the refrigerator, which connects a passage of the wall with the outer region of the niche.

The passage is suitably closed by an electrically controllable flap, so that when no ice is removed, no warm outside air passes through the passage in the interior.

The flap is expediently part of an assembly inserted into the niche. Thus, the assembly is separated from the insulation material by the outer skin of the wall and therefore, if repair is required, can be removed without affecting the insulation material.

In order to prevent dew formation in the externally exposed outer region of the niche, heating may be provided on a surface of the insulating wall facing the outer region of the niche.

Fig. 1

einen schematischen Schnitt durch ein erfindungsgemäßes Kältegerät mit Kaltwasserspender;

Fig. 2

ein Detail der Tür des Kältegeräts;

Fig. 3

eine perspektivische auseinander gezogene Ansicht der Tür sowie von in einer Nische der Tür montierten Komponenten; und

Fig.4

einen schematischen Schnitt durch eine in der Nische montierte Spenderbaugruppe.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures. Show it:

Fig. 1

a schematic section through an inventive refrigeration device with cold water dispenser;

Fig. 2

a detail of the door of the refrigerator;

Fig. 3

a perspective exploded view of the door and of components mounted in a niche of the door; and

Figure 4

a schematic section through a mounted in the niche donor assembly.

This in Fig. 1 shown in a schematic section refrigeration device has a heat-insulating body 1 and a door 2, which define an interior space 3. The interior space 3 is cooled by an evaporator which is accommodated in an evaporator chamber 4 divided off in the upper region of the body 1.

An automatic ice maker 5 is arranged in the immediate vicinity of the evaporator chamber 4 in the interior 3. Under the icemaker 5, a collecting container 6 is mounted, which catches ice pieces 5 produced by the ice maker. A screw conveyor 7 at the bottom of the collecting container 6 serves to convey the pieces of ice to a discharge opening 8 at the door near the end of the collecting container. 6

The walls of the body 1 and door 2 of the refrigerator are formed in a conventional manner in each case by a solid outer skin, a solid inner skin 9 and an enclosed between the two insulating material layer 10 of foam. The outer skin of the door 2 shown here with a furniture panel 11 is substantially composed of two parts, a substantially flat front panel 12 and a plastic housing 14 delimiting a niche 13 open to the outside of the door 2 and inserted into a central opening of the front panel 12 In the inner skin 9 of the door, a recess 15 complementary to the housing 14 is formed. At a top of this bulge 15, a shaft or funnel 16 is formed below the discharge opening 8 of the collecting container 6, of which a lower edge connects tightly to the housing 14, so that out of the collecting container 6 ice passes through the shaft 16 into the niche 13 ,

The niche 13 is divided by an inserted insulating partition 17 into an inner region 18 and an outer region 19. The inner region 18 is substantially filled by a reservoir formed in the present case as a water tank 20. The water tank 20 is connected by a supply line 21 to the drinking water network.

The supply line 21 extends from an external connection, not shown, first through the body 1, where on the line 21, a check valve 22 is arranged, which, as long as no water is tapped from the tank 20, is closed and so the downstream of him lying part the supply line 21 and the tank 20 shields from a pressure prevailing in the drinking water network overpressure. The supply line 21 is led out of the body 1 adjacent to a hinge of the door 2 and enters an in Fig. 2 shown, along a lower edge of the door 2 extending groove-shaped channel 23 via.

In Fig. 2 a two-legged channel 23 is shown, wherein in each case one leg of the channel extends from one of the two lower corners of the door 2 to a cut-out 24 formed on the front side of the door. So the door of the Fig. 2 optionally be struck right or left, depending on the stop side of the door hinges, the supply line 21 is guided through one of the two legs of the channel 23. If no option for the stop side of the door 2 is provided, it is sufficient if the channel 23 has a single leg.

At the cutout 24 begins, as in the perspective view of Fig. 3 a channel 25 which tapers into the outer skin 9 and extends vertically up to the niche 13. The channel 25 merges into a channel 26 which extends at the bottom of the housing 14 in the depth direction until shortly after a step 27. The supply line 21 is concealed in the case shown here in the channel 25 of the Möbelplatte11; but it can also be used to secure the supply line 21 in the channel 25 a (not shown) U-profile placed over the supply line 21 and attached to the sides of the channel 25, for example, locked.

At the same depth as the step 27 is on the ceiling of the housing 14, a second, in Fig. 3 Dashed line shown 28 formed.

In a rear lower corner of the housing 14, two passages 29, 30 can be seen, which extend through the door 2 into the interior 3. While the passage 29 is free, the only partially visible passage 30 is provided with a fan.

The inner region 18 of the niche 13 located behind the steps 27, 28 is provided to receive the water tank 20. This one is in Fig. 3 shown together with its supply line 21, which is shown curved in accordance with the course of the receiving channels 23, 25, 26.

When the water tank 20 is installed, a gap remains between the rear wall thereof and the rear wall of the housing 14, in which, driven by the fan in the passage 30, cold air can circulate out of the inner space 3 to quickly cool the contents of the tank.

A temperature sensor 31 disposed at an upper portion of the tank 20 controls the operation of the fan and a film heater 32 mounted on the front wall of the tank 20. When the water temperature detected by the temperature sensor 31 exceeds a first threshold, the fan is activated to cool the tank contents, If the temperature falls below a second, lower limit, the film heater 32 is put into operation to prevent freezing of the tank contents.

In the assembled state, the water tank 20 is hidden behind the insulating partition 17. The position of the intermediate wall 17 is determined by its rear abutting the two steps 27, 28. Through a cutout 33 on the upper edge of the intermediate wall 17, an output line 34 of the tank 20 is led out to a dispenser assembly 35 in the outer region 19. This dispenser assembly 35 is intended to be mounted in the niche 13 under the roof of the housing 14, and is in Fig. 4 shown in a section. A passage 36 of the assembly 35 extends the shaft 16 and is connected by a to a Axis 37 pivotally hinged flap 38 closed. The dispensing line 34 is extended in the dispenser assembly 35 by a flexible hose 39 which opens onto a dispensing nozzle 40 mounted on the outside of the flap 38. When the flap 38 is opened to remove ice, the discharge port 40 is pivoted aside. A container can therefore be positioned at the same location in the niche 13 for catching the pieces of ice or for tapping water.

A so-called pitch flap 41 is provided for mounting at the bottom of the housing 14. It is an assembly of approximately box-like shape, of which walls of the box a front wall and a top wall 42 in Fig. 3 are shown folded out. In the folded position, a small container can be placed on the outside of the top wall 42 to catch water or ice; In the unfolded position, a medium-sized container may be placed on a bottom surface 43 of the pitcher flap assembly 40, or a large container may be slanted on the inside of the top wall 42 so that its fill opening is below the dispensing spout 39 and flap 38, respectively.

A control assembly 44 carrying exposed switches 45 on the front of the device is mounted under the ceiling of the housing 14, the dispenser assembly 35 to be concealed. The switches 45 serve to control the operation of the flap 38, the auger 7, the check valve 22, etc. Signal lines connecting the control assembly 44 to the body 1 for controlling the check valve 22 and the auger 8 extend along with the supply line 21 of the channels 26, 25, 23. Furthermore, runs through these channels 26, 25, 23, an electrical supply cable for supplying various mounted in the niche 13 electrical loads such as the film heater 32 of the water tank, mounted on the outside of the intermediate wall 17 film heater 47, which serves to prevent dew formation on the intermediate wall 17, a (not shown) lighting, the z. B. may be integrated into the dispenser assembly 35 to illuminate a container to be filled in the niche 13, the fan in the passage 30 or integrated in the flap 38 heater, the dewing in the passage 36 of the dispenser assembly 35 and optionally a freezing of the Flap 38 in the passage 36 obstructing position prevents.

According to the order of their arrangement in Fig. 3 the tank 20 with its connected lines 21, 34, the intermediate wall 17 and the assemblies 35, 41, 44 mounted on the finished assembled and foamed with insulating material door 2 and can be removed again if necessary, to be repaired or replaced. For such a repair, it is not even necessary to open the door 2, so that there is no risk of undesirable heating of refrigerated goods stored in the interior 3 by the repair.

Claims (10)

1. Refrigerating appliance with a housing (1, 2), in which an outwardly open niche (13) containing a tapping point (40) for cooled water or the like is formed in a wall of the housing (1, 2), and wherein the wall comprises an inner skin (9) bounding an interior space (3), an outer skin (12) and an insulation material filling (10) extending between inner skin and outer skin, and with a storage container (20) for water or the like to be tapped off at the tapping point (40), characterised in that inserted in the niche (13) is an insulating intermediate wall (17) separating an inner region (18), which receives the storage container (20), of the niche (13) from an outer region (19) receiving the tapping point (40), wherein a channel (25) recessed into the outer skin (12) of the wall receives a water duct (21) supplying the storage container (20).
2. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 1, characterised in that a channel (25) recessed in the outer skin (12) of the wall receives a supply duct for an electrical consumer (32, 47) arranged at the niche.
3. Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that at least one passage (29, 30) in the intermediate wall (17) connects the inner region (18) of the niche (13) with the interior space (3).
4. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 3, characterised in that a fan is mounted at the at least one passage (30).
5. Refrigerating appliance according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a heater (32) is arranged adjacent to the storage container (20).
6. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 5, characterised in that the heater (32) is arranged at a side of the storage container (20) facing the insulating intermediate wall (17).
7. Refrigerating appliance according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that an ice container (6) is arranged in the interior space (3) and that a passage (16) of the wall connects the ice container (6) with the outer region (19) of the niche (13).
8. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 7, characterised in that the passage (16) is closable by an electrically controllable flap (38).
9. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 8, characterised in that the flap (38) is part of a subassembly (35) inserted into the niche (13).
10. Refrigerating appliance according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a heater (47) is arranged at a surface of the insulating wall (17) facing the outer region (19) of the niche (13).

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